Great Beaver Shot

Bicycles & Icicles is known (among a small, elite crowd) for many things but, on a global scale, this blog might be best known for its beaver shots.

Every day, lonely men (and maybe a few women who know how to work on their own pickups, if ya know what I mean) arrive here after Googling “beaver shots.” I aim to make sure they’re never disappointed. Because what higher calling could a guy have than to bait lost souls with beaver shots and then deliver them to the Holy Church of the Bicycle for their salvation?

So feast your eyes, ladies and gentlemen, on the latest beaver to get wet and prove itself on the pages of this blog: Oscar’s Beaver. His Soggy Bottom Beaver. And because it’s Oscar’s, one might even call it Spanish Beaver. Mmm, spicy!

I took this shot a few hours before The Grouch and I got the Beaver wet and gave it a pounding in some of the wettest, most slippery conditions imaginable. No matter what we threw at it, this beaver held on tight and kept Oscar upright for hours. It was an amazing performance.

Afterward, Oscar said he thought it was the best Beaver he’d ever had. (Personally, I think it was the first Beaver he’d ever gotten. I’m just glad he liked it, because I think he paid quite a bit for it.)

I don’t usually endorse things, but if you’re looking for something that can really perform when things get wet and slippery, this Beaver just might be the one to satisfy your needs.

It's no Pulitzer, but ...

Today I offer a big thanks to Bikegirl and the rest of the the animal lovers at Paramount Cycles, who have presented me with the finest award this blog will likely ever earn.

To recognize my 700th post, and my No. 2 ranking in Google searches for "bicycles + beavers," they gave me a pair of "Save the Beavers" socks that I will wear proudly. Because after all, what greater cause could there be?

Bicycles & Icicles. Promoting the protection and humane treatment of beavers since 2005.

Leave It To ...

Today I'm proud to present another shot of the ... well, you know.

I don't dare repeat the words from that earlier post. I'm trying to work my way down the list of responses for Google searches for "b**ver shots," ya know what I'm sayin'?

I half expect to turn on my computer each morning and find hate mail from frustrated pervs who are mad at me for wasting their time.

Still, I couldn't resist stopping for a photo of this little critter during my ride to work this morning. I tried to get a tighter shot, but as with so many beavers I've encountered in the past, I wasn't allowed to get very close.

Riding through the light rain this morning and seeing a little wildlife in the lake was a nice way to wrap up my "summer" commuting season. Tomorrow is the first day of school, so the traffic will be a little heavier and have a larger number of yellow buses and oversize SUVs driven by irritable parents with a cell phone one ear and noisy kids in the other.

Stay alert, fellow commuters. And keep your eyes peeled for furry wet things.

Beaver shots

One of the greatest things about bike commuting in Anchorage is the daily opportunity to see wildlife. For the past three weeks, I’ve been making regular morning stops to check out this beaver. I finally decided to shoot a couple of photos and post them on the blog, because a friend once told me that he thinks it’s the duty of everyone who owns a digital camera to take some nice beaver shots and post them on the Internet for him to enjoy.

I had no idea he was so into animals, but you know men—we’re always trying to conceal our sensitive side.

This particular beaver is usually in a creek that’s close to my office, but this morning I found it in a nearby lake after a fellow bike commuter with a big smile on his face saw me looking in the usual spot and said, “Man, the beaver’s really out this morning!”

I pulled off my path and hid by a big, thick bush to snap a few photos. About that time, the beaver’s morning dip had reached its climax, so the furry little thing politely climbed out and prepared to leave. As it crossed the bike trail on its way home, I heard a voice saying, “Whut the hay-ull?!”

I turned around and saw a man on a bike. He had hit the brakes and was trying to decide what to do next. This poor guy sounded like he had just moved here from Dallas and had never seen a beaver. Especially one that was dripping wet early in the morning.

The beaver continued on its way. Knowing I had several good beaver shots stored in my camera, I mounted my bike and happily rode away.

Dang, that sure was a great beaver.